Partisan plan would turn American Dream on its head, keep families apart

Los Angeles – The Executive Director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), Angelica Salas, issued this response to the White House’s principles for immigration reform:

“The White House has chosen a path of partisanship and mean-spirited politics over getting things done to fix our broken immigration system.And once again, as it has done through various raids across the country, the Bush Administration has targeted immigrant families.

“The President’s immigration proposal would abolish the nation’s long-standing tradition of reuniting families through our immigration system.It would get rid of certain family-based visas, keeping families apart for even longer than they are already kept apart.No efforts will be made to reduce backlogs or integrate immigrants into society.

Over 65 people who worked for the sportswear compnay, Under Armour, were arrested and detained yesterday in an ICE raid in the broader Baltimore area. Two-thirds of those arrested were women.

Many of the detainees are from Central American countries, including El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. They are being held at the York County Prison in Pennsylvania and the Dorchester County and Worcester County detention centers, immigration officials said.